al Q€Vl€W F riday, April 23, 1982
Editorial: ASNIC hoard assaults right to know There were few resistance fighters present the day democracy died at IC- the an.ad was slow and silent. However. there were some casualues-nameJy. the public's right 10 know and the willingness of elected officials to stand up and face that public. The uaaall: The attack on rights that began March 16 ended decisi~cly April lJ ,.,hen, after a five-minute ' 'recess." the ASNIC Student Board voted 6· 1 to reserve the nght 10 ban tape recorders from its meeti ngs at the wllim of any of its members. Earlier in the year, the board , after being t1Sted by the Cardinal Review 10 research whether II fell under the Idaho open meeung oode (we asked because the board was spending a great nmoun1 of iLs meeting times in executive session). t he board voted unanimously to follow the ··spirit ' ' of that code. The analysis: "Jne C:irdmnl Review Slaff members. of course. arc the students who presently use tape recorders in board rncctings. The~ devices arc used 001. as the board implies. so 1h01 members can be "wen advantage of .. but rather 10 insure accuracy in reponing those meetings. In nil tru thfulness. the CR cou'd repon meetings well without recorders-in fact. the CR has used them in only a few inMnnces whe n controversy aro~e. meetings grew heated and something was needed 10 Yerify correct infonnauon. II is not. then, the practicality of the recorders which will be missed as a result of the informal banning. but rather the ban is :1no1hcr step in the :mcmpt 10 conduct ccnain business i.11 secret 11,ougb board mcmbcni would aunily deny this allcmpl, the truth i confirmed by the vcl") fact 1h01 the bonrd. be fore pn\~ing the mo11o n to 11110'" bnnnmg. called a fivc•minutc reccs~. rubhed into the holl for a discussion. came bock and Yoted on the motion with lnllc discussion in the 11ctual convened mccung. Actions. ii \ccm~ . spenk a more force ful truth than words. The most outrngeous a5pcct of the bollfd' s a11empt at secrecy is that they intend lo be s ilent abou t the dispersing ol ou r funds. Inc board this yc:1.r received ~omc Sbll.000 in student fecs-1h1s 15 the 10111 of the S22 per \cme'itcr every NIC student pnys and entrust~ 10 :he board. The ~ceond outra11e i~ 1h01. thro u11h those fee\, we. the students of NIC. pa) the tuition of each and c,•cry one of the board members llhe) also rcee.-e II small stipend). The tt, pon11e: When the i,.suc lir'it arose. the CR gnthcrcd some op101ons from expert~ on the mailer. Herc ore ~ me of those rcspom c\. O Jlm Michnud, n Coeur d'Alene Cny Council member and local anorney. >Aid he doe.snot ndvocotc prohibiting recorder~ cu public mec11ngs. He s111d the pubhc·s
right to kn°" h:i.s a ~ater ,'lllue than t he rim involved. C frank Henderson, the ma\'or of Post Falls. said the PoSt Falls council records its own meetings for llS own files. "It (the student board) is n01 a closed club.·· he said. "TbeJ ·re not dlCIAlars; the) 're scr\lla ts," he :idded. ~ Don Pember, a commuoi6tions spcc1alisi 31 the University of Washingron. caJled the board's ITKl\'e "outrageous.. Md ..silly." .. , think that's the argument of intimidation 1h01 they don't '"·ant to go on the record forever and ever:· he s~d. ::::Though research '"-ould be needed. Idaho State Anomey General D1Yid Leroy s.,id that sinC'C bo:ird members are p3id through student funds. they could " ell fall legally under the St.lie oode. After g11thcring thls Information. the CR presented the board "llh 3 lener sta11ng th3t "c would gfodly shut off 1,1pc recorders for no,ice speakers coming 10 the meetings '"ho ma~· be in11m1d3tcd b,• recorders but th.:11 "'"t' did no1 feel we should do so for bo1rd members. "We feel you assume 3 cen;iin rcsponsibilit) 10 the students you represent 10 let them tno'" '"hat )OU S3y in public meetings. just as we. the pres\. assume the responsibility to rcpon accurate!~· and fairl) "hat •~ said and done ... the le11er said. Al~. the Idaho Code say~ ...,he fonnatlon of public poh<:) is public bu,ine~ :ind shall not be conducted ,n sc,.--rc1 ·• The !iOlullon: The bo:ird ~ould 1mmcdmeh· rescind this rult:'. To f.iil 10 do so would con\ttlute 3 flagr:101 abuse of 11s functio~ and of the members' rcspo n~1b1li1y to\\ ard their conrn1uen1s While \\C realize the board member- .ire not e1:pens in their office (serving on the board i, cen11nh ,nrcnded to be .i learning eipcrienccl, the feelings of the expen~ in 1hi, aru ,, that t.lpc rerorders should be (and 1rc) allowed. During this lu t .. l'el. "'e be.:ard 3 lot nbout "integrit)" in association \\Ith terhnolo~·. \\e fed "c h.i,c been e1h1c.1l in regard to recorder u~t.'-"e challenge the boord 10 find one in~tan,e \\hen informarion on~ t3pe \\3S misused. I.cl°~ see some 1n1egnl) Ill ronnect1on dcmocniC). A rcml:rodcr: If th1\ board /none of the members are running for reelection) fails 10 O<'I. let·~ mate ~ure the nen one doe" not. When voting for future board members. NIC siudents sh(luJd be a•are of therr reason for running. Find o ut whether they run for ptl'S(lnal glor\- and gain or if the)' intend to conduct the public's business in pubhc We .ire ttrcd of pla,-ing g~es.
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tudents elect 3 senators b) SharlJ a Dlttmaa
c" lifr This nc,.born lamb la 1at1,ned with the lal,te of
ha) on a farm nc-ar Conr d'Alene but la allo more than ttad) for • a,etmer pulare now chat •prlaa has nnall) anhed.
A t01Al of:?12 voccruurned 001 Apnl 21 for the sophomore !>Coate elc.ction. u Jon Ott. D1.i.oe Wbue . and GUIO White claimed I.Ile lhree ~moos from a field of su pnmat) .. moen A«"On!Jng 10 CaroJ.-n Pfister. stud· ent ~,d, ,1.:e preYdent there .. .1\ not a single m,"J.Jid bJ.1101 at &.n) of the polling places.
On '" the top ,-ote-gener '"ith a touil of 11-. ~~I of his support came from 1he Administration Buildi ng. ,. here he g:ithcred 56. Ho: gained 41 in 1he SUB and 20 more at the vocational ,01mg booth. Sophomore Diane White. activities d1!fflod r the tll81 ·ll2 .tt'ademic year. eooilno.ed on p. 16
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